Spanish Voice Over Artist & Emmy Award–Winning Director/Producer

Anyone who has been in the voice over business for some time understands that mistakes happen more frequent than desired. While they are inevitable, voice over artists try to limit them as much as possible. They do this in many ways:

Practicing as much as possible before recording

Checking with the script writer to clarify if something doesn’t sound right

Asking someone else to critique the dialogue to catch any mistakes missed by the script writer and voice over artist

While many mistakes may go unnoticed, some end up having a lasting impact. These mistakes can cost a company its reputation or deliver an unintended message.

One example of a mistake that was caught too late was a trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens’. As Mark Hamill was doing the voice over for the trailer, he said “My Father had it.” rather than “My father has it.” As you can see, what he said was the past tense, while what was supposed to be said was the present tense. This sent fans into a frenzy because they thought this meant that Darth Vader was not dead, which means he could show up in The Force Awakens.

It is not easy to clean up mistakes. Sometimes, spokespeople have to make a statement to clear up the confusion. Other times, public relations experts have to step in and save the reputation of a business because of the mistake.

Voice over artists can lose their job when they make a mistake. Their name can be tainted, which could lead to problem finding work again. This can be disastrous when trying to succeed in the voice over industry.

What to Do After a Mistake

As much as you can try not to make a mistake, it does happen from time to time. The following are some tips on how you can mitigate the damage of one.

Let the client know about the mistake as soon as you realize it.

If the client catches it first, do not question it.

Apologize immediately for the mistake.

Ask what you can do about it to help the situation that has come out of the mistake.

Offer to redo the voice over work with a fast turnaround.

Offer to apologize to the public for the mistake.

Showing you care is the best thing you can do after the mistake. There might not be anything you can do, but at least you are offering to do whatever is necessary.

Take your time with your voice over work. The more careful you are, the higher the chances are that you will catch errors before anyone that matters notices them.

Networking is one of the most effective ways to grow a business. This includes the voice over business. Without the skills to build a relationship with clients and colleagues, you will have a difficult time gaining gigs and making your mark in the industry. Knowing how to establish and sustain relationships with people will help you achieve the success you’re seeking for your voice over business.

Start Online

You need an online presence to tell people who you are, what you know, and what you can do. A website and social media profiles on LinkedIn, Google+, and Twitter are important since most people search for voice over artists online first.

You can start relationships online by emailing people who inquire about your services from your website. You can message people in your industry on social media networks. Once you’ve established a connection to these people, suggest taking discussion offline to find out how you can work with them.

Tip: Do not advertise your services all of the time on social media. People want to be social on these networks, not read ads the whole time. Engage with people by getting into conversations about interesting topics you have a lot of knowledge about. This will set you up as an industry leader and people will want to turn to you.

Attend Networking Events

Networking events for professionals in the media industry are great to attend because you’ll be able to speak with them about their needs and wants. Not only will you gain knowledge, but also you’ll be delivering information. This makes you look good, and usually, people will want to connect with you after the event to learn more about what you can offer them.

Just remember – networking has a lot to do with giving before getting. Offer to help people, and some of them will want to help you with referrals and work.

Hold a Networking Event

If you can’t find a networking event in your area, you can host one. It’s a great way to meet people in your local area that may need your services.

The first step in holding a networking event is to find a location. You then have to market the event. You can do that by letting people know about it online, in your local newspaper, visiting businesses in your area, and posting flyers.

You should market your networking event for at least two weeks, but no longer than three weeks. When you advertise for too long, people may forget about it or end up scheduling other activities in its place.

Starting relationships with people in your industry isn’t as difficult as you may believe. You just need to place yourself in situations in which people will want to get to know you and what you do. The Internet and networking events are excellent ways to do that, so get started today to grow your business.

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Are you feeling stuck in your business right now? Well, you can get unstuck easily with a business coach. Understanding how a business coach can help you will show you that there is hope.

A business coach is a professional who takes the time to learn about your business and what you want from it. When these factors are discovered, your business coach will serve as your source of inspiration, advice, support, encouragement and accountability.

If you’ve ever tried to grow your business, but just can’t do what you need to do, that’s what a business coach can do for you. He or she will check in with you once a week or more to see what you’ve been doing, and assess whether you are still on track to achieving your goals. If you aren’t, your coach will discuss how you may want to change those goals.

How to Find a Business Coach

There are many business coaches online. A simple search on Google will bring many business coaches who want to help you. Some may have experience with the voice over industry while others will be able to help just because they have the basic understanding of running any business.

When you are searching for a good business coach, you should interview each one. Ask the following questions:

How long have you been a business coach?

What kind of training do you have?

Have you ever worked with someone in the voice over industry?

What are your results?

What types of tools do you have to help me?

How often do we need to talk?

These questions and just speaking with a business coach for a few minutes will help you decide if the person is right for you. If you find someone who you don’t seem to click with, don’t worry about it. You can always find another business coach.

A Word About Pricing

Business coaches are not cheap. You will pay for what you get though. If the price shocks you, just think about the growth of your business and how much more money you’ll be bringing in during and after coaching. It is likely that the money you make will be more than you’ll pay for coaching, and you’ll walk away with valuable business skills.

Give it a try and see how a business coach can help you.

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About Victoria

Victoria DeAnda is a professional voice artist known for her exceptional vocal qualities, creative storytelling abilities, and distinct flexibility in taking on any audio recording or narration project from start to finish. Learn more ...